Best Machines for Shaving and Trimming – Reviews, Comparisons, and More!

Reviews: Braun Series 5

Using traditional razors for everyday shaving can lead to cuts, nicks, acne, and razor burn. On top of these issues and concerns, many don't like the expense and waste involved with disposing of used blades. Unsanitary razors and blades can be unpleasant to have around, or even risky for people with health concerns. Braun electric shavers have been a trusted alternative for decades, selected by users who want reliable, convenient, hassle-free, and safer ways to handle their daily shaving needs. In this article, we closely examine one of the most popular Braun Series 5 electric shavers.

The Braun Series 5 is often considered a pivot point in product development for Braun electric shavers. The quality German engineering that Braun has become known for came to fruition in Series 5. All the electric shavers in this series feature pivoting shaving heads, flexible and optimized cutting elements, built-in middle trimmers, precision trimmers, travel storage convenience, and full washability.

Each has an LED Battery indicator that shows battery status and hygiene status, plus a handy travel lock indicator to make sure it won't switch on when jostled. The batteries in a Braun Series 5 shaver typically last a full 50 minutes running time after just one hour of charging, and you can also take advantage of the 5-minute quick-charge option. There are a few different models in this series, and here we focus on the Braun Series 5 5040s.

Product Specs

The Braun Series 5 5040s features a shaving head and motor that reflect the decades of experience Braun puts into the design of its electric shavers. The auto-sensing motor adapts to the density of each beard, providing efficient and comfortable shaving for all hair types. It’s flexible, 8-direction shaving head moves in ways that enable you to get around curves and corners.

This shaver has individual suspension for each cutting element to get into small contours on the shaving surface. There is pivoting shaving head to move around large, broader corners. The two SensoFoil blades provide a smooth and close shave as advertised. All these factors considered together, this Braun Series 5 shaver provides a smooth, responsive shave that will satisfy most users, regardless of exact beard type.

The Braun Series 5 5040s can be used wet or dry because it has 100% waterproofing up to 5 meters. This means that in-shower use and faucet-rinsing of the shaver are both fine. This model comes with a soft-sided travel pouch. It is important to note that the "s" on the end of the model number stands for "solo," and this means this model will not work with many non-compatible Braun cleaning and and charging stations. However, the simple rinse required to clean the head on this unit makes this a non-issue for most.

The Braun Series 5 5040s, featured here, is an older model, and there have been three large-scale updates in the product line since its release. After reviewing a few newer models, we did not think the updated features of the newer Series 7 and Series 9, nor the largely cosmetic changes to the new line of Series 5 "squared," are needed by most users. Many people will appreciate the lower price point for the good-quality Braun Series 5 5040s, which can be as little as one-third that of comparable models or the very latest-model Braun shavers.

Pricing

The Braun Series 5 electric shavers, including the newer models, are priced at about $80 to $160 USD. The Braun Series 5 5040s model, featured here, is at the low end of that range at about $85 USD on Amazon. This particular model is somewhat hard to find as it is not currently in production, but it can still be bought from Amazon and found in some retail stores.

How It Compares

A good electric shaver will deliver a shave that is as close as a traditional razor, and Braun shavers are trusted by users to provide shave quality among the best of any electric shavers on the market.

We picked a few similar products to see how they compared to the Braun Series 5 5040s electric shaver. Two models, the Panasonic ES-LV95-S Arc5 Electric Razor and Philips Norelco 8900 Electric Shaver, are similar electric shavers with a couple additions. The Wahl Professional 8061-100 5-Star Series Rechargeable Shaver Shaper is a foil shaver trusted by barbers that is available within the same price range.

Features

Ease of Use

Design Quality

The Braun Series 5 5040s has pivoting shaving heads, flexible and optimized cutting elements, built-in middle trimmers, precision trimmers, travel storage, and full washability. It features a useful LED indicator that shows battery status, hygiene status, and a travel lock indicator. You can get 50 minutes of operating time on just a one-hour charge or use the valuable 5-minute quick charge feature.

This Braun Series 5 shaver is a simple and efficient electric shaver. It lacks excessive customization, which actually makes it easier to use than more complex models.

The design is great, and it displays how markedly the Braun Series 5 upped Braun design quality when first introduced. It is hard to find complaints about the design of this electric razor.

The Panasonic ES-LV95-S Arc5 electric razor is one of Panasonic’s best electric razors. The shaving head is similar to the Braun Series 5's head in many ways. This is a highly functional wet or dry shaver that provides a close and comfortable shave by adjusting effectively to density and contour changes. It features a 5-blade cutting system with blades that sit at 30 degrees for a close shave.

Panasonic's hyper-performance motor cuts hair extraordinarily fast, and built-in shaving sensors adjust to the density of each beard. This automated razor has a multi-flex head that pivots to move around the contours of the face. Also, the rechargeable battery lasts almost as long as the Braun Series 5 battery, coming in with operating time of about 45 minutes after one hour of charging time. This razor has a decent LCD display as well.

The Panasonic ES-LV95-S Arc5 model differs from the Braun Series 5 5040s in a couple of key ways. It has an automatic cleaning and charging station, and a pop-up trimmer is available for detailing your sideburns and mustache.

The Panasonic ES-LV95-S Arc5 electric razor is available for about $200 on Amazon.

Features

Ease of Use

Design Quality

This Panasonic electric razor is both a wet and dry shaver with a flexible foil head, built-in sensors, a rechargeable battery, an LCD display, an automatic cleaning and charging station, and a pop-up trimmer.

The electric shaver portion of the Panasonic ES-LV95-S Arc5 is easy to use and works very well for most people. The cleaning and charging station can be difficult to use as it requires hand mixing and pouring, according to our reviewers.

The design quality of the Panasonic ES-LV95-S Arc5 Electric Razor is high. Users like its look, feel, and long life overall. The blade life could be longer, however.

The Philips Norelco 8900 Electric Shaver is another product that is comparable to the Braun Series 5. It can be used either wet or dry thanks to “Aquatic Technology” the maker says ensures comfort. It also has independent, pivoting shave heads that move in eight different directions to get at hairs around and near difficult contours.

Norelco’s V-Track precision blades provide a closer cut than many and “Contour Detect Technology” enables this device to glide well around areas such as your chin, lips, and jawline. The shaver pops an alert when its battery charge is low, and you get that message on a useful LED display.

Unlike the Braun Series 5 model, which must be cleaned through some manual effort, this shaver comes with a “smart clean system” that will clean, lubricate, dry and charge the electric shaver in one hour to give you 50 minutes of fresh shaving time. It also has a shaver handle that is adjustable, offering five different length settings for customization.

A Philips Norelco 8900 Electric Shaver can be purchased for about $180 USD on Amazon.

Features

Ease of Use

Design Quality

None

This electric shaver is very simple and easy to use. Some users may have to fumble with the only cumbersome part: the clip-on beard trimmer attachment.

This Norelco unit shaves well and has nice added touches such as an ergonomic handle, lightweight design at under a pound, and reliability over a long service life.

The Wahl Professional 8061-100 5-Star Series rechargeable shaver shaper was designed for barbers and stylists. As a result, it works like a barber’s tool, delivering both reliability and precision. It is small and solid, and it has a rechargeable battery that will last 60 minutes at full power between charges. The foil is hypoallergenic gold that protects sensitive skin from razor burn, irritation, and painful ingrown hairs.

This Wahl unit comes with the shaver, foil guard, charging plug, cleaning brush, and operating instructions all nicely packaged together. It is a great basic shaver, but it lacks the contouring abilities and the waterproofing protection that the Braun Series 5 5040s provides.

The Wahl Professional 8061-100 5-Star Series Rechargeable Shaver Shaper sells for about $65 on Amazon.

Features

Ease of Use

Design Quality

The Wahl Professional 8061-100 5-Star Series Rechargeable Shaver Shaper sells for about $65 on Amazon.

it's so easy! It really couldn’t be easier to shave with this Wahl unit.

The Wahl Professional 8061-100 5-Star Series rechargeable shaver shaper is a small, solid electric shaver with few bells and whistles. It holds up very well over time, with the exception of the delicate foil clips, which may break under rougher usage.

Pros

Provides a close shave

Used by many barbers

Great customer service from Wahl

Cons

Loud operation

Does not work well on long-growth beards

Clips may break with aggressive use

Not waterproof

No low-battery indicator

Conclusion

Having compared the Braun Series 5 5040s model to comparable shavers available on Amazon and made by Panasonic, Philips Norelco, and Wahl, we recommend this Braun Series 5 shaver hands-down. It has the ability to perform as either a wet or dry shaver. It charges quickly, cleans easily, and comes with everything you need for daily use. The only major thing users lose out on by skipping the more expensive Panasonic and Philips Norelco shavers is their self-cleaning and charging stations. Those stations are sometimes problematic, anyway.

The Wahl is a similarly priced shaver, but it lacks the contouring, automatic sensing, and LCD display that the Braun Series 5 features. Most importantly, the Wahl shaver we reviewed is a dry-only shaver requiring careful brush cleaning rather than a simple rinse. In contrast, the Braun Series 5 5040s can be used in the shower and rinsed clean. For an electric shaver of good quality with impressive features under $100, we nominate this Braun Series 5 model. We assigned it 5 out of 5 stars overall, our maximum possible rating in the category.